Bermuda Coral Reefs Featured In New Scientist

October 21, 2013

Popular science magazine New Scientist has published an article detailing the exploits of an Australian researcher who recently spent time on and around the island while studying the declining state of Bermuda’s coral reefs, part of the far-reaching Catlin Seaview Survey.

That scientist, Manuel González-Rivero, a research fellow at the University of Queensland in his native land, visited Bermuda in order to witness an ongoing bleaching event firsthand, thanks to a heads up offered by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA] and Bermuda’s Department of Conservation.

Video documentation of Bermudian coral bleaching from New Scientist:

Caused by ever-rising water temperatures, coral bleaching is considered important by marine biologists and climate researchers alike for both its inherent effect on local water life, and also for its ability to act as a tell for the overall effects of anthropomorphic climate change on the planet at large.

This bleaching occurs when the all-important relationship between coral and diverse groups of algae breaks down, disrupting the very delicate balance between the two and leading to the algae’s death. This gives the formerly bright, colourful, and vibrant coral a pale, ghostly look.

The good news revealed by this latest survey is that Bermuda’s reefs and, indeed, those from around the world, have the potential to experience an equally quick resurgerence, especially with seasonal drops in water temperature currently taking place. With reef diversity on the line, such a resurgence could buy endangered species – and the scientists working to help them – enough time to determine a more permanent solution in the face of continued climate change.

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